Mail-receiving device for doors



Sept. 29, 1931. B. F. Foss 1,824,881

MAIL RECEIVING DEVICE FOR DooRs r'iled May 51, 1930 L2e factory service.

Fal-:elated Sept. 29, 1931 f BENJAMIN F. FOSS, vF PORTLAND, MAINEMAInRncEIvING l-DEVICEv ron :oooRs `A11-p11mami med May'i, 1930.k serialNo. 457,876.

The invention hereinafter to 'be described relates to mail-receivingdevices for house doors and embodies lin its structure certainimprovements inthe inventiony for which I iled an application for U. S.patent of date February 28th, 1929Ser. No. 343,471.

The primary object of thepresent inven# tion is to provide'facilitieswhereby, through the actuation vof the buter cover, the inner 1c coverof the`v apparatus may he` suiiciently opened to permit of unobstructedpassage of mail matter throughtheopening in the door, particularlywhenthe device `is mounted on an e-'Xtra thick door andthe mail matter issomewhat bulky in character.

VIn my vformer inventiononeof-the covers lcontacts'with andoperatesdirectly on the other `cover to' open-- it-an arrangementwhichwhenapplied to thin doors givessatisyBut on thick doors the frontcover is not suiiiciently wide to actuate the rear cover, so for thistype of door I employ an element pivotally suspended intermediate'the'tvvo covers in'sucha mannerthat what amounts to, an

extension ofthe front cover is provided which' projects outwardly whenengaged by the front cover vand vcontacting with the rear cover raisesit so vas tov `provide ample space to ladmit the mail matter withoutinterference.

The sliding contact of the interposed element with the covers lengthensthe possible travel or are of movement of the inner cover '35 beyondwhat would be possible were the moving parts positively connected and,furthermore, greatly simplifies the whole structure. The character ofthe invention may best be understood by reference tothe descriptionfound in the following specification when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which v Fig. l is a front elevation `of thedevice, showing the outer cover; p

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation vof the same, showing the inner cover;

Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional elevation of the device, the sectionbeingl taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. The covers are shown in closedpositions in this view; and

Fig. 4'is the sameas Fig. 3 except that the v .i d

covers are shown in open positions.

Similar referencecharacters are employed to identify like parts in allthe viewsof the drawing i Y QReferring to the drawings, D represents aportion of' a door rail equipped with my improved mail-box door platecombination.` IOn the front or outer side of. thedoortis askeleton*door-plate l provided with a cover 2 which seats,y when thepassage-way P for mail is closed, on. the ledgelaV of the plate. On'therearward or inner side of the door is another plate, 3, having a cover 4vadapted to seat on its inner'faceSa. These covers,`2 and 4,' are hingedkon pins 5 andsupported inlugs'projecting from the plates l 'and' 3,respectively.

LThe foregolng 'elements are constructed substantially like thecorresponding elements in myk previous invention hereinbefore referredto, except in certain particulars which will presently disclose.

By examination of Fig. 3 it willbe ob,-V served that a v'lug 7projectsinw'ardly from the door plate 3', and that pivoted on the pin 8in this lug is an oiisetarm 9, the pivotal pointbeingfin the offsetportion 9a.

Vhen the covers 2 and 4 are on their seats,

closing, respectively, they openings 10 and 11 throughl the door-plates`land 3, the arrn9 depends into vthe space intermediatelthe two covers,butwhen it is required to pass mail matter through'.thefapparatus thecover 2 is manually swung inwardly into engagement with the arm, andupon continuing'the in- Award movement of the cover 2 the yarm willn be.brought into contact with the cover 4.- the position'of the parts atthis point in the operation of thedevice 'being shown indot and dashlines, Fig. 3. Y v

Upon still further movement of the plate 2 the parts will bedisposed asseen in Fig.

4", the vcover 4 being raised toa substantially horizontal position. j o

`Itis obvious that by varying the length or extentV o'fprojec'tionvofthe foot 9b on the` arm 9 the elevation'to whichthe cover 4mayberaised ycan bevaried; vAndv bycorrespond-- inglyfchanging the" lengthof the lug 7 the Vum tween the pivotal point of the cover,` at 6,- andthe point of contact of the footQa with the inner face of the cover 4'.

So that, although the cover 2 has `completed a considerable portion ofits maximum swinging movement before the cover has even started from itsseat, the inner cover gains in its speed of travel to such an extentthat both covers finally reach their eXtreme upward movement with eachin substantially a horizontal position. i

This leaves a full and clear passage-way throughl the door with noimpediment to the delivery otmail matter to the interior of the house. Y

The advantage of supplying two covers,

y an inner and an outer, has been previously set forth in my formerapplication. Especially in the case of thick doors and more par-lticularly with large door-plates which I construct or' a size inaccordance with postal rules and regulations, the inner or rear covergreatly assists in maintaining a weather proof mail box device.

Although I provide yielding means to normally hold the covers on theirseats, their face areas are so large that, in the case of the outer one,the :torce of the wind has a tendency to slightly jar it open or awayfrom its seat.

However the dead airspace between the covers acts to prevent the passageof rain or even air through the rear opening 1l and should a very smallamount of water pass the outer cover it will lodge in the catch basin l2and pass outwardly through the drains 13.

The embodiment herein described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings is preferred construction; but it is to be understood thatvarious changes in the form, proportion and minor details ofconstruction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantagesof theinvention. y

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described comprising in combination with anouter and an inner door-plate and two covers hingedly connected,respectively to said 4door-plates, an arm ,pivotally suspended' between-said doorplates, a foot on the lowerend of said arm adapted to engagesaid inner cover when said arm is sWung-theretoward, said armbeing soYhaving an opening in alignment with the opening through said door, acover on each of said door-plates hingedly connected thereto to swingrearwardly, relative to said door, and means disposed in thespaceinterjacent said covers but non-attached thereto, whereby saidinnercover may be raised from its closed to its full open positionduring vthe/time occupiedby'said outer cover in completing but a portionof its full swinging movement, said outer cover co-acting withsaid-means toeiect the raising of said inner cover.y y

' 3. In apparatus of the class described adaptable for use in connectionwith mail-re-v ceiving devicesvffor doors havingfa 'mail-re# ceivingopening therethrough, comprisinv in combination an outer andaninnerdoo'rfp ate each thereof havingan-o ening in alignment withk `theopening throng said door, acover pivotally secured on each of saiddoors-plates and adapted, normallyto seal the space between said covers,a lug projecting inwardly from and located at the top ofsaidmnerrdoorplate, an arm, having an offset upper end, depending from'apivotal connection withk said lug, said arm being disposed within thespaceV between said covers and operable in thepath of movement of saidouter cover, and a foot Ion the lower end of said arm adaptable, whensaid arm is swung theretoward, of slidableengagement with saidinnerc'over. A

In testimonywliereof I atIX myvsignature.

BENJAMIN F. FOSS.

